Kart racer ups the challenge after big 2012 season

Kart racer ups the challenge after big 2012 season

Zachary Shearer waves the checkered flag, not an uncommon sight in 2012 for the Aldershot High School student. Shearer won three kart racing series this year, and will attempt to master the Shifter class starting this spring. The 14-year-old athlete will spend the winter playing hockey with the bantam MD Bulldogs hockey team.

After winning three separate kart racing series in 2012, Zachary Shearer will up the horsepower in 2013.

The Aldershot High School student, who turned 14 last Saturday, won his club title at Innisfil, the points title in the Northern Ontario Karting Championship — a qualifier for nationals — and finally, the Brian Stewart Karting Championship as Rotax Junior Champion.

These came while driving a Rotax Jr. 125 cc, 25-horsepower kart.

Shearer had a big enough points lead in both the Northern Ontario and Brian Stewart series that he basically had to just participate in the final races to earn the overall points totals.

He qualified for nationals at the Northern Ontario Karting Championship, but had a tough time there.

“I kind of messed up at nationals,” he said.

The all-round athlete, who played for Aldershot’s junior football team the past season, is also involved in hockey (the bantam MD Bulldogs), lacrosse, soccer and track and field.

It doesn’t matter to Shearer whether it’s a team sport or an individual pursuit.

“I just like doing a lot of stuff to keep busy,” said Shearer, who said karting is his favourite sport.

He’ll take a break from racing until the spring, when he’ll start competing in the Shifter class, which features karts with the same 125 cc motors but with the horsepower restrictions eased significantly.

“At the fastest track that the shifters go to, which is Shannonville, I’m pretty sure last year they were reaching 85 or 90 miles per hour,” said Shearer, who will be facing older drivers in the new class. “It’ll be really hard the first year coming up.”

He got the racing bug from Lloyd, his father, as well as his uncle, and lists Formula One racing as his long-term goal.